Incorporation of a guided inquiry laboratory using
GC-MS into (Organic Chemistry II)

by Kris Bhat, Philadelphia University (bhatk@philau.edu)

At Philadelphia University all chemistry, biochemistry and pre-medical majors are required to take two semesters (4 credits each) of organic chemistry.  Typically, in the second semester, spectroscopy (UV, IR, NMR and MS) is covered in the lecture with special emphasis to determine the structure of an unknown compound.  With the acquisition of GC-MS, the instrument was put to hands-on experience in the lab not only to use for characterization purposes but also to use it as a tool to elucidate a reaction pathway.  Towards this end an experiment was incorporated that involved two parts:  one to synthesize an unsymmetrical cyclohexanol and secondly to study the acid-catalyzed dehydration to alkene (Poon et al., J. Chem. Ed., 1997, p. 1218).

To see the actual laboratory experiment, and associated materials, please click HERE.

This inquiry based lab was refined and implemented through funding from NSF (DUE# 0126468 - Implementing Guided-inquiry Laboratories Utilizing Gas-chromatography Mass-spectrometry in the Chemistry/Biochemistry Majors Sequence)